COM3715 ASSIGNMENT 3 PORTFOLIO 2026
DUE 30 MAY 2026
SECTION A: KEY CONCEPTS OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATION FROM AN AFRICAN
PERSPECTIVE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Global communication has become an important area of study in today’s highly
connected world. However, much of the research in this field has mainly focused on
Western viewpoints, often ignoring perspectives from the Global South. This section
discusses and explains five important concepts in global communication from an African
perspective: global communication, African communication, glocalisation, global media
hegemony, and decolonial communication. African experiences and examples highlight
the importance of including different perspectives in communication studies and
recognising Africa not only as a receiver of global information and media, but also as an
active creator of communication practices and knowledge.
1.2 KEY CONCEPTS
1.2.1 Global Communication
Global communication refers to the transnational exchange of information, ideas, and
cultural products across national borders through various mediated and interpersonal
channels. From an African perspective, global communication cannot be understood
simply as a neutral flow of information. Rather, it is shaped by historical power
imbalances, colonial legacies, and contemporary economic inequalities. As
Mabweazara, Muneri and Ndlovu (2020, 2154) note, the news media in sub-Saharan
Africa operate within conditions of material deprivation and weak regulatory institutions
,that subject them to corrupt political and economic pressures. For example, the flow of
international news into Africa remains dominated by Western agencies such as Reuters,
Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, which often frame African stories through
lenses of conflict, disease and poverty (Obonyo, 2011). Conversely, African countries
increasingly participate in global communication through digital platforms, with
Ghanaian and Nigerian film industries (Nollywood) reaching global audiences and
challenging Western cultural dominance.
1.2.2 African Communication
African communication encompasses both traditional, pre-colonial communication
systems and contemporary mediated practices that reflect African cultural values,
languages and worldviews. Unlike Western individualistic models, African
communication is fundamentally communal, relational and context-dependent. Orality
remains central, with storytelling, proverbs, drumming, and town criers serving as
enduring forms of information dissemination (Obonyo, 2011). For instance, in many
rural parts of Kenya and Tanzania, community radio stations broadcast in local
languages and incorporate traditional musical forms to discuss development issues
such as healthcare and agriculture. Furthermore, African communication practices
include the use of mobile phones for money transfer (M-Pesa in Kenya), demonstrating
technological innovation grounded in local needs. As Mabweazara et al. (2020, 2162)
observe, understanding African journalism requires attention to the specific socio-
political and economic contexts in which it operates, rather than imposing global
normative standards.
1.2.3 Glocalisation
Glocalisation describes the adaptation of global products, ideas, or media to fit local
cultural contexts. This concept rejects the idea that globalisation leads to
homogenisation, emphasising instead that local actors creatively appropriate and
transform global flows. From an African perspective, glocalisation is evident in
, numerous domains. For example, MTV Base Africa broadcasts globally formatted music
videos but intersperses them with locally produced content featuring African artists such
as Burna Boy, Diamond Platnumz and Sho Madjozi, and includes segments in Swahili,
Yoruba and other languages. Similarly, global social media platforms like Facebook and
WhatsApp have been glocalised through their use in African political mobilisation –
during the #EndSARS protests in Nigeria or the #FeesMustFall movement in South
Africa, activists adapted global digital tools to local political realities (Mlambo, Mkhize &
Zondi, 2021). Glocalisation thus represents African agency within global communication
flows.
1.2.4 Global Media Hegemony
Global media hegemony refers to the domination of global information flows by
Western, particularly American, media conglomerates and the accompanying
ideological influence that reinforces capitalist, neoliberal and often neocolonial
worldviews. From an African perspective, this hegemony manifests in several ways.
First, the concentration of media ownership among a handful of corporations – Disney,
Comcast, News Corp, Warner Bros. Discovery – means that most globally circulating
films, television programmes and news originate from Western perspectives. Second,
as Mabweazara et al. (2020, 2166) document, even within Africa, media capture by
political and economic elites replicates patterns of clientelism that undermine
independent journalism. For example, the Gupta family's ownership of The New Age
and ANN7 in South Africa represented a form of media capture that served the interests
of former president Jacob Zuma rather than the public. Third, Western donors who fund
African media outlets may impose editorial conditions, constituting what Schiffrin (2018)
calls "philanthropic capture" (cited in Mabweazara et al., 2020, 2170). Resistance to
media hegemony includes the rise of BRICS media, which will be discussed in Section
C.
1.2.5 Decolonial Communication
DUE 30 MAY 2026
SECTION A: KEY CONCEPTS OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATION FROM AN AFRICAN
PERSPECTIVE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Global communication has become an important area of study in today’s highly
connected world. However, much of the research in this field has mainly focused on
Western viewpoints, often ignoring perspectives from the Global South. This section
discusses and explains five important concepts in global communication from an African
perspective: global communication, African communication, glocalisation, global media
hegemony, and decolonial communication. African experiences and examples highlight
the importance of including different perspectives in communication studies and
recognising Africa not only as a receiver of global information and media, but also as an
active creator of communication practices and knowledge.
1.2 KEY CONCEPTS
1.2.1 Global Communication
Global communication refers to the transnational exchange of information, ideas, and
cultural products across national borders through various mediated and interpersonal
channels. From an African perspective, global communication cannot be understood
simply as a neutral flow of information. Rather, it is shaped by historical power
imbalances, colonial legacies, and contemporary economic inequalities. As
Mabweazara, Muneri and Ndlovu (2020, 2154) note, the news media in sub-Saharan
Africa operate within conditions of material deprivation and weak regulatory institutions
,that subject them to corrupt political and economic pressures. For example, the flow of
international news into Africa remains dominated by Western agencies such as Reuters,
Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, which often frame African stories through
lenses of conflict, disease and poverty (Obonyo, 2011). Conversely, African countries
increasingly participate in global communication through digital platforms, with
Ghanaian and Nigerian film industries (Nollywood) reaching global audiences and
challenging Western cultural dominance.
1.2.2 African Communication
African communication encompasses both traditional, pre-colonial communication
systems and contemporary mediated practices that reflect African cultural values,
languages and worldviews. Unlike Western individualistic models, African
communication is fundamentally communal, relational and context-dependent. Orality
remains central, with storytelling, proverbs, drumming, and town criers serving as
enduring forms of information dissemination (Obonyo, 2011). For instance, in many
rural parts of Kenya and Tanzania, community radio stations broadcast in local
languages and incorporate traditional musical forms to discuss development issues
such as healthcare and agriculture. Furthermore, African communication practices
include the use of mobile phones for money transfer (M-Pesa in Kenya), demonstrating
technological innovation grounded in local needs. As Mabweazara et al. (2020, 2162)
observe, understanding African journalism requires attention to the specific socio-
political and economic contexts in which it operates, rather than imposing global
normative standards.
1.2.3 Glocalisation
Glocalisation describes the adaptation of global products, ideas, or media to fit local
cultural contexts. This concept rejects the idea that globalisation leads to
homogenisation, emphasising instead that local actors creatively appropriate and
transform global flows. From an African perspective, glocalisation is evident in
, numerous domains. For example, MTV Base Africa broadcasts globally formatted music
videos but intersperses them with locally produced content featuring African artists such
as Burna Boy, Diamond Platnumz and Sho Madjozi, and includes segments in Swahili,
Yoruba and other languages. Similarly, global social media platforms like Facebook and
WhatsApp have been glocalised through their use in African political mobilisation –
during the #EndSARS protests in Nigeria or the #FeesMustFall movement in South
Africa, activists adapted global digital tools to local political realities (Mlambo, Mkhize &
Zondi, 2021). Glocalisation thus represents African agency within global communication
flows.
1.2.4 Global Media Hegemony
Global media hegemony refers to the domination of global information flows by
Western, particularly American, media conglomerates and the accompanying
ideological influence that reinforces capitalist, neoliberal and often neocolonial
worldviews. From an African perspective, this hegemony manifests in several ways.
First, the concentration of media ownership among a handful of corporations – Disney,
Comcast, News Corp, Warner Bros. Discovery – means that most globally circulating
films, television programmes and news originate from Western perspectives. Second,
as Mabweazara et al. (2020, 2166) document, even within Africa, media capture by
political and economic elites replicates patterns of clientelism that undermine
independent journalism. For example, the Gupta family's ownership of The New Age
and ANN7 in South Africa represented a form of media capture that served the interests
of former president Jacob Zuma rather than the public. Third, Western donors who fund
African media outlets may impose editorial conditions, constituting what Schiffrin (2018)
calls "philanthropic capture" (cited in Mabweazara et al., 2020, 2170). Resistance to
media hegemony includes the rise of BRICS media, which will be discussed in Section
C.
1.2.5 Decolonial Communication
